Snapshot: If not quite the foam-capped theme park its name suggests, World of Beer (the first S.A. outpost of a Tampa, Fla.-based chain) is a cozy hangout for beer geeks. The brick and polished wood interior combined with beer-stocked refrigerators and overhead doors that let the outside in give it the feel of an upscale icehouse.

Who goes there: A chatty, congenial crowd last week watched football and listened to a live band with a Dave Matthews vibe. Craft-beer enthusiasts were in the mix, but so were young professionals who looked happy to have found a nice pub in the middle of a Stone Oak shopping center.

Behind the bar: More than 500 bottles of beer (and cider, lambic, mead) on the wall. The 50 on tap represent about five countries, 12 states and 10 Texas breweries. Most draft beers cost $5; bottles range from $4 to more than $20. World of Beer may have more styles of beer glasses — snifters, tulips, flutes — than some bars have beer.